Miter Saw with Adjustable Fence

ABSTRACT

A miter saw includes a base, a turntable rotatable in relation to the base and including a work piece support surface, a support assembly attached to the turntable, and a saw assembly attached to the support assembly and configured to cut a work piece supported on the turntable. A fence assembly includes an elongate fence body that extends along a first axis. The elongate fence body is supported by the base and positioned over the turntable. The fence body has a first connecting structure, and a fence insert defining an elongate work piece abutment surface and having a second connecting structure. The fence assembly is positionable in a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration, the second connecting structure cooperates with the first connecting structure to secure the fence insert at a first position in relation to the fence body. When the fence assembly is positioned in the second configuration, the second connecting structure cooperates with the first connecting structure to secure the fence insert at a second position in relation to the fence body. A second axis intersects the first axis in a perpendicular manner. When the fence insert is secured at the first position, the elongate work piece abutment surface is positioned to intersect the second axis at a first point. When the fence insert is secured at the second position, the elongate work piece abutment surface is positioned to intersect the second axis at a second point, and the first point is offset from the second point along said second axis.

This application is a continuation application of co-pending applicationSer. No. 12/983,423, filed on Jan. 3, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,621,970), the disclosure of such application which is totallyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety

FIELD

This invention relates to the field of power saws, and particularly topower miter saws that have a fence.

BACKGROUND

A power miter saw is a cutting tool used to make crosscuts in a workpiece, such as a piece of wood. Miter saws typically include a baseequipped with a turntable and fence. The turntable is rotatable inrelation to the base and has an upper surface that supports a work pieceduring cutting operations. The fence extends over the turntable toprovide an abutment surface for locating an edge of the work piece at apredetermined position on the base.

The saw assembly of the miter saw includes a bevel arm, a cutting arm,and a cutting assembly. The bevel arm is pivotably attached to theturntable for pivotal movement about a bevel axis. The cutting arm is inturn pivotably attached to the bevel arm for pivotal movement toward andaway from the turntable. The cutting arm supports the cutting assembly,comprising a circular saw blade and a motor, above the turntable. Duringcutting operations, the cutting arm is pivoted downwardly to bring thesaw blade into contact with a work piece positioned on the turntable.

Miter saws have a cut capacity that defines the maximum sizes anddimensions of work pieces that a miter saw is capable of cuttingthrough. The cut capacity includes a vertical component, also referredto as the cut height capacity, and a horizontal component, also referredto as the cut width capacity. The cut height and cut width capacity of amiter saw depend on a number of factors, such as the size of the sawblade, the depth that the blade is able to plunge below the uppersurface of the turntable, the pivot location of the support arm withrespect to the abutment surface of the fence, and the size of the motor,gearbox, and blade arbor.

The cut height capacity of a miter saw may have to be adjusted toaccommodate taller work piece sizes. One method used to increase the cutheight capacity of a miter saw is to attach a sacrificial fence to thefront of the fence. FIGS. 8 and 9 depict the cut width and cut heightcapacity of a miter saw before and after attaching a sacrificial fenceto the miter saw fence. As depicted in FIG. 8, the miter saw has a cutwidth capacity of 190 mm, and a cut height capacity of 88 mm. Asdepicted in FIG. 8, the sacrificial fence has a thickness on the frontof the fence of approximately 20 mm that results in an increase in cutheight capacity to 102 mm and a decrease in cut width capacity to 150mm. The use of the sacrificial fence allows the miter saw to have a cutcapacity capable of cutting a 100 mm×100 mm cross section beam.

While effective in increasing cut height capacity, the use ofsacrificial fences requires that time be spent selecting and/orfabricating a fence with a desired width and suitable shape forattachment to the miter saw fence. Time must also be spent in theinstallation and removal of the sacrificial fence. Because sacrificialfences are often made with scrap materials, sacrificial fences are oftendiscarded after use requiring that another sacrificial fence be selectedand/or fabricated to increase the cut height capacity of the miter sawfor another job.

What is needed is a method or device that enables the cut heightcapacity of a miter saw to be increased without requiring thefabrication and installation of a separate sacrificial fence or spacer.

SUMMARY

A miter saw includes a base, a turntable rotatable in relation to thebase and including a work piece support surface, a support assemblyattached to the turntable, and a saw assembly attached to the supportassembly and configured to cut a work piece supported on the turntable.A fence assembly includes an elongate fence body that extends along afirst axis. The elongate fence body is supported by the base andpositioned over the turntable. The fence body has a first connectingstructure, and a fence insert defining an elongate work piece abutmentsurface and having a second connecting structure. The fence assembly ispositionable in a first configuration and a second configuration. In thefirst configuration, the second connecting structure cooperates with thefirst connecting structure to secure the fence insert at a firstposition in relation to the fence body. When the fence assembly ispositioned in the second configuration, the second connecting structurecooperates with the first connecting structure to secure the fenceinsert at a second position in relation to the fence body. A second axisintersects the first axis in a perpendicular manner. When the fenceinsert is secured at the first position, the elongate work pieceabutment surface is positioned to intersect the second axis at a firstpoint. When the fence insert is secured at the second position, theelongate work piece abutment surface is positioned to intersect thesecond axis at a second point, and the first point is offset from thesecond point along said second axis.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a miter saw with an adjustablefence assembly;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the miter saw and fence assemblyof FIG. 1 showing the left lateral portion of the fence assembly ingreater detail.

FIG. 3 is rear perspective view of the miter saw and fence assembly ofFIG. 1 showing the left lateral portion of the fence assembly of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the miter saw and fence assembly of FIG. 1showing the left lateral portion of the fence assembly of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 5A is a front perspective view of the fence insert portion of theleft lateral portion of the fence assembly.

FIG. 5B is a front perspective view of the fence insert portion of FIG.5A installed in fence.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the right lateral portion of analternative embodiment of the fence assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the right lateral fence portion of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of a saw blade, a fence, and workpiece showing the cut capacity prior to placing a spacer in front of thefence.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a saw blade, a fence, and workpiece showing the cut capacity prior to placing a spacer in front of thefence.

DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated inthe drawings and described in the following written specification. It isunderstood that no limitation to the scope of the invention is therebyintended. It is further understood that the present invention includesany alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments andincludes further applications of the principles of the invention aswould normally occur to one of ordinary skill in the art to which thisinvention pertains.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a miter saw 10 including anadjustable fence assembly 12 is depicted. As explained below, theadjustable miter fence 12 includes an elongate body 54,56 having aninsert component 66, 68. The insert component 66, 68 includes a workpiece abutment surface 60. The insert component 66, 68 is positionablein a first position and a second position with respect to the elongatebody 54, 56. In the first position, the abutment surface 60 is arrangedat the normal or default position in relation to the base 14. In thesecond position, the abutment surface 60 is offset a predetermineddistance in front of the elongate body 52. The offset position of theabutment surface 60 increases the cut width capacity of the miter saw 10and causes a corresponding increase in the cut height capacity of themiter saw 10.

In addition to the adjustable fence assembly 12, the miter saw 10includes a base 14, a turntable 16, and a saw assembly 18. The base 14is designed to sit in a stationary position on a solid surface orsupport structure. The base 14 is generally comprised of a hard metalmaterial, such as aluminum, and provides a structure that supports theremaining components of the miter saw 10. The turntable 16 is rotatablysupported on the base 14. The turntable 16 has a generally planar uppersurface 20 that defines a slot 22. The planar upper surface 20 serves asa horizontal support surface for supporting a workpiece, such as wood orlumber. The slot 22 provides clearance for the saw blade 24 to extendbelow the horizontal support surface 20 during cuts so that a particularcut width capacity is provided.

The saw assembly 18 of the miter saw 10 includes a bevel arm 26, acutting arm 28, and a cutting assembly 30. The bevel arm 28 is pivotablyattached to the turntable 14 for pivotal movement about a bevel axis 32.The bevel arm 30 is pivotable about the bevel axis 32 between a verticalorientation (90°), as shown in FIG. 1, to an angle of 45° or more leftof vertical (not shown). This pivoting allows the blade 24 to approachthe turntable 16 from a bevel angle to perform angled cuts.

The cutting arm 28 is pivotably attached to the bevel arm 26 for pivotalmovement about an axis 34 toward and away from the turntable 14. Thecutting arm 28 supports the cutting assembly 30 above the turntable 14.The cutting assembly 28 includes a motor 42, a circular saw blade 24, ahandle 44, a switch 46, and a blade guard 48. The motor 42 that isoperable to rotate the circular saw blade 24. The handle 44 is connectedto the bevel arm 30 to facilitate movement of the cutting head 28 inrelation to the turntable 16. The handle 44 is designed and dimensionedto be grasped by a human hand when performing a cutting operation. Thisallows the user to easily pivot the cutting head 28 about axis 34. Theswitch 46 is positioned on the handle 44 to allow the user to easilyenergize and de-energize the motor 42 during a cutting operation. Theblade guard 48 covers the top portion of the circular saw blade 24.During cutting operations, the cutting arm 28 is pivoted downwardly tobring the saw blade 24 into contact with a work piece positioned on theturntable 14.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the adjustable fence assembly 12 the elongatefence body includes a left lateral body portion 54 and a right lateralbody portion 56 that define a first gap 62 therebetween. A part of theelongate work piece abutment surface 60 is positioned on each side ofthe gap 62. The fence insert includes a left lateral insert portion 66and a right lateral insert portion 68 that define a second gap 64therebetween. The first gap 62 and the second gap 64 are aligned witheach other and with the slot 22 defined in the turntable 16. The gaps62, 64 provide clearance for the saw blade 24 to pass therethrough andtoward the slot 22.

Each fence body portion 54, 56 extends along an axis A defined on theturntable support surface 20. Each fence body portion 54, 56 ispositioned at least partially over the turntable 16 and is attached tothe base 14 at each side of the turntable. Each fence insert portion 66,68 is removably secured to a body portion 54, 56 and includes a part ofthe elongate work piece abutment surface 60 that is arrangedsubstantially perpendicular to the turntable support surface 20. When awork piece is positioned on the support surface 20 of the turntable, anedge of the work piece is held against the elongate work piece abutmentsurface 60 to facilitate accurate cuts at desired angles with respect tothe fence assembly 12.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the fence assembly 12 ispositionable in a first configuration (FIG. 1) and a secondconfiguration (FIG. 2) based on the position of the fence insertportions 66, 68 in relation to the fence body portions 54, 56. The fencebody portions 54, 56 and the fence insert portions 66, 68 includecomplementarily configured connecting structures 70, 72 (FIG. 3) thatcooperate to removably secure the fence insert 66 to the fence body 54in at least a first position and a second position with respect to eachother. In the first position, the abutment surface 60 of the insertportions 66, 68 and the abutment surface 76 of the body portions 54, 56are aligned at the normal or default position for the fence assembly 12,as depicted in FIG. 1. In the second position, the abutment surface 60of the insert portions 66, 68 is offset a distance F from the abutmentsurface 76 of the body portions 54, 56. Offsetting the abutment surface60 from the fence body causes the cut height capacity to be increased.The offset distance F selected is dependent upon the configuration anddimensions of the miter saw 10 and the desired increase in cut heightcapacity. In one embodiment, the offset distance F is approximately 20mm.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the fence insert 66 includes a connectingstructure 72 that comprises a pair of vertically oriented channelstructures arranged at each lateral end of the fence insert. The fencebody 54 defines an insert opening 75 for receiving the fence insert 66.The connecting structure 70 of the fence body 54 comprises a verticallyoriented rail positioned at each lateral end (only visible at one end)of the insert opening 75. The rail 74 is configured to be received in arespective one of the channel structures 72 defined in the fence insert.

The pair of channel structures 72 includes a first channel structure 72Aand a second channel structure 72B. The first channel structure 72Acorresponds to the first position of the fence insert 66 relative to thefence body 52, and the second channel structure 72B corresponds to thesecond position of the fence insert 66 relative to the fence body 52.The vertical orientation of the channel structures 72 and rails 70enables the fence inserts 66 to be switched between the first and secondpositions by sliding the inserts 66 upwardly until the rails 70 andchannel structures 72 are disengaged. The inserts may then be reinsertedinto the fence bodies by aligning the channel structures and rails andsliding the inserts downwardly until the rails are received in thecorresponding channel structures.

As seen in FIG. 3, a retaining mechanism 91 is utilized to secure theinsert 66 to the fence body 54. Any suitable type of retaining mechanismmay be used. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the retaining mechanism 91comprises a fastener or screw. The fastener 91 and the channelstructures cooperate to secure the insert 66 to the fence body 54 oncethe insert has been seated in the fence body 54. In one embodiment, headof the fastener defines a cut out section. When the head of the fastener91 is turned to a first predetermined angle or orientation with respectto the fence body 52, the cut out section is positioned to provideclearance for the channel structures 72A, 72B of the insert 66 to slidealong the rail 70. Once the insert 66 is seated in the fence body, thehead of the fastener 91 is rotated to a second position to secure theinsert 66 to the fence body 54. In one embodiment, the channelstructures 72A, 72B define cut-outs 93 (FIG. 3) that interlock with thehead of the fastener 91 when the fastener is turned to the secondposition to secure the insert 66 to the fence body 54. In an alternativeembodiment, a spring loaded detent may be utilized in a similar mannerto secure the insert 66 to the fence body 54.

When the fence insert 66 is in the first position as depicted in FIG. 3,the rails 70 is received in the first channel structures 72A at each endof the fence insert. Referring to FIG. 4, the fence body 54 has a frontsurface 76 that defines a portion of the work piece abutment surface ofthe fence assembly 12. The front surface 76 of the fence body 54 lies ina plane C, and the front surface 60 of the fence insert 66 lies in aplane D. With the fence insert 66 and fence body 54 in the firstposition with respect to each other, the plane C is coplanar with theplane D and perpendicular to the plane E defined by the turntablesupport surface 20.

When in the second position, the work piece abutment surface 60 of thefence insert 66 lies in a plane D that is parallel to and offset thedistance F from the plane C. The fence insert 66 is offset from thefence body 54 along an axis B that intersects the axis A in aperpendicular manner, as depicted in FIG. 4. When the fence insert 66 isin the first position relative to the fence body 52, the work pieceabutment surface 60 of the fence insert 66 and the abutment surface 76of the fence body 54 are each positioned to intersect the axis B at afirst point 57 along the axis B. When in the second position, theabutment surface 60 of the fence insert intersects the axis B at asecond point 59 along the axis B that is offset from the first point 57.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the fence inserts 66 may be configured sothat the lower edge 78 of the work piece abutment surface 60 is loweredwhen the insert is moved from the first position to the second position.The inserts 66 define channel structures 72A, 72B at the lateral ends ofthe inserts 66 that are used to removably secure the inserts to thefence bodies 52. In one embodiment, the channel structures 72A, 72B areprovided with varying lengths to enable the lower edge 78 of the workpiece abutment surface 60 to be lowered when the insert 66 is moved tothe second position. As depicted in FIG. 5A, the channel structure 72Ais positioned a distance G from the lower edge 78, and the channelstructure 72B is positioned a distance H from the lower edge 78. Whenthe insert is positioned in the second position (channel structure 72B),the lower edge 78 is moved closer to the turntable surface 20. When theinsert 66 is moved forward, the lower edge 78 is moved closer to thesupport surface 20 to limit the ability of a work piece to pass underthe lower edge 78 during cutting operations.

Referring again to FIG. 4, positioning a fence insert 66 in front of themiter saw fence poses the risk of the fence insert 66 being placed inthe path of the saw blade 24 when the saw assembly is fully mitered tothe left or right. To prevent the fence insert 66 from being placed inthe path of the saw blade when the saw is mitered, the end portions ofthe inserts 66 are made shorter than the length of the fence bodies sothat when the fence inserts are in the forward position, i.e., thesecond position, the inner lateral extent of the inserts does notintersect the path of the blade. For example, referring to FIG. 4, theleft lateral end portion 54 includes a body end portion 84 that ispositioned contiguous with the first gap 62, and the left lateral insertportion 66 includes an insert end portion 86 positioned contiguous withthe second gap 64. The body end portion 84 is located a first distance88 from the axis B, and the insert end portion 86 is located a seconddistance 90 from the axis B with the distance 88 being greater than thedistance 90. Thus, when the insert 66 is in the forward position, thebody end portion 84 and the insert end portion 86 are each approximatelythe same distance from the gaps 62, 64 when the saw is in the fullymitered left position as depicted in FIG. 4. The distances 88, 90selected to space the insert end portion 86 from the gap 64 depends onthe dimensions and configuration of the miter saw 10. In one embodiment,the distances 88, 90 are selected such that the difference between thefirst 88 and second distance 90 is between approximately 20.0 mm and30.0 mm. In one particular embodiment, the difference between the firstand second distances equals approximately 25.0 mm.

As mentioned above, the bevel arm 26 of the saw assembly enables the sawblade to be tilted with respect to turntable 16 to enable bevel cuts tobe performed. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the bevel arm 26 enables thesaw blade to be tilted from vertical to approximately 45° left ofvertical. In alternative embodiments, the bevel arm 26 may be configuredto allow the blade to be tilted to approximately 45° right of verticalas well. When the saw blade is tilted to perform bevel cuts, a portionof the fence may be located in the path of the blade 24. To enable cutsto be performed with the saw tilted to the left (or right) of vertical,the fence assembly 12 is configured as a sliding fence. As a slidingfence, the upper portion of the fence on the left side of the turntableis configured to slide radially outwardly from the center of theturntable to provide clearance for the saw blade when it is beveled tothe left. The upper portion of the fence to the right of the turntablemay also be configured to slide radially outwardly if the saw assemblyis capable of being beveled to the right.

Referring now to FIG. 3, to enable the slide functionality for the fence12, the left lateral body portion 54 of the fence includes a baseattachment portion 100 and a sliding portion 102. The base attachmentportion 100 is fixed to the base 14 of the miter saw 10, and the slidingportion 102 is slidably connected to the base attachment portion 100.The sliding portion 102 of the fence body 54 includes the connectingstructure 70 and opening 75 for the insert 66 so that the insert 66 isslidable with the sliding portion of the fence body 54. The slidingportion is supported by the base attachment portion 100 in a manner thatenables the sliding portion 102 to slide with respect to the baseattachment portion 100 along axis A between a default position (FIG. 3)and a lateral position (FIG. 1). In the default position, the fence 12provides full height support to perform cuts with the saw blade orientedvertically. In the lateral position, the upper portion of the fence ismoved out of the way of the saw blade to allow bevel cuts to beperformed. As best seen in FIG. 3, the sliding portion and the baseattachment portion are slidably connected using a tongue and groove typeconnection 104 although any suitable type of connection or connectingstructure may be used.

In the embodiment of the fence assembly depicted in FIGS. 1-5, theinsert portion of the fence is adjustable between the normal positionand the forward position by sliding the insert portion upwardly toremove the insert from the fence body and sliding the insert downward toinstall the insert to the fence body. FIGS. 6 and 7 depict an embodimentof a fence assembly 12′ in which the insert portion 68 of the fence ismovable between the normal position and the forward position by slidingthe insert generally horizontally with respect to the fence body 56.Although only the right lateral body portion 56 of the fence assembly12′ is depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7, the discussion below is applicable tothe left lateral portion of the fence assembly as well.

As depicted in FIGS. 6 and 7, the insert 68 includes a pair of beam-likestructures 106, 108 that protrude from the rear side 110 of the insertcomponent 68 (i.e., the side opposite the abutment surface 60). Eachbeam defines a longitudinal slot 112, 114 that extends therethrough. Thefence body 56 includes beam support surfaces 116, 118 that support thebeams 106, 108 and allow movement of the beams along the axis B relativeto the fence body 56. The support surfaces 116, 118 each define a bore120 (FIG. 7) for receiving a fastener, such as a screw or knob, (notshown). As seen in FIG. 7, when the insert 68 is positioned on the fencebody 56, the longitudinal slots 112, 114 are aligned with the bores 120.A fastener is passed through each slot 112, 114 and into the bores 120to secure the insert 68 to the fence body 56.

The longitudinal dimension of the slots 112, 114 is arranged generallyperpendicular to the abutment surface 60 of the fence to enable theinsert to be slid in the forward and rearward directions along axis Bwith respect to the fence body 56. The positions of the ends of theslots 112, 114 in relation to the positions of the bores/fasteners 120define the forward and rearward limits of movement for the insert. Inthe rearward position, the abutment surface 60 of the insert 68 isaligned with the front surface 76 of the fence body as depicted in FIG.6. The insert 68 may be secured at any position between and includingthe forward and rearward positions by tightening and loosening thefasteners in the slots.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same should be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character. It is understood thatonly the preferred embodiments have been presented and that all changes,modifications and further applications that come within the spirit ofthe invention are desired to be protected.

What is claimed is:
 1. A miter saw, comprising: a base; a turntablerotatable in relation to said base and including a work piece supportsurface; a support assembly attached to said turntable; a saw assemblyattached to said support assembly and configured to cut a work piecesupported on said turntable; and a fence assembly including (i) anelongate fence body that extends along a first axis, said elongate fencebody being supported by said base and positioned over said turntable,said fence body having a first connecting structure, and (ii) a fenceinsert defining an elongate work piece abutment surface and having asecond connecting structure, wherein (i) said fence assembly ispositionable in a first configuration and a second configuration, (ii)when said fence assembly is positioned in said first configuration, saidsecond connecting structure cooperates with said first connectingstructure to secure said fence insert at a first position in relation tosaid fence body, and (iii) when said fence assembly is positioned insaid second configuration, said second connecting structure cooperateswith said first connecting structure to secure said fence insert at asecond position in relation to said fence body, and wherein (i) a secondaxis intersects said first axis in a perpendicular manner, (ii) whensaid fence insert is secured at said first position, said elongate workpiece abutment surface is positioned to intersect said second axis at afirst point, (iii) when said fence insert is secured at said secondposition, said elongate work piece abutment surface is positioned tointersect said second axis at a second point, and (iv) said second pointis offset from said first point along said second axis.
 2. The miter sawof claim 1, wherein: said elongate fence body defines an additional workpiece abutment surface, and said additional work piece abutment surfaceis positioned to intersect said second axis at said first point.
 3. Themiter saw of claim 2, wherein: when said fence insert is secured at saidfirst position, said elongate work piece abutment surface of said fenceinsert is positioned to lie in a first plane, said additional elongatework piece abutment surface of said fence body is positioned to lie in asecond a second plane, and said first plane and said second plane arecoplanar.
 4. The miter saw of claim 1, wherein: when said fence insertis secured at said first position, said elongate work piece abutmentsurface of said fence insert is positioned to lie in a first plane, saidwork piece support surface of said turntable is positioned to lie in asecond plane, and said first plane is perpendicular to said secondplane.
 5. The miter saw of claim 4, wherein: when said fence insert issecured at said second position, said elongate work piece abutmentsurface of said fence insert is positioned to lie in a third plane, andsaid third plane is perpendicular to said second plane.
 6. The miter sawof claim 1, wherein: said support assembly includes a bevel armpivotably connected to said turntable, and said saw assembly ispivotably supported in relation to said bevel arm.
 7. The miter saw ofclaim 1, wherein: said first connecting structure includes one of (i) arail, and (ii) a channel structure configured to receive said railtherein, and said second connecting structure includes the other of (i)said rail, and (ii) said channel structure.
 8. The miter saw of claim 1,wherein: said elongate fence body includes a left lateral body portionand a right lateral body portion that are separated by a first gap, saidfence insert includes a left lateral insert portion and a right lateralinsert portion that are separated by a second gap, said saw assemblyincludes a cutting blade, and said support assembly is configured tomove said cutting blade into said first gap and said second gap.
 9. Themiter saw of claim 8, wherein: said left lateral body portion includes abody end portion positioned contiguous with said first gap, said leftlateral insert portion includes an insert end portion positionedcontiguous with said second gap, said body end portion is located afirst distance from said second axis, said insert end portion is locateda second distance from said second axis, and said second distance isgreater than said first distance.
 10. The miter saw of claim 9, whereinsaid distance equals 25.0 mm.
 11. The miter saw of claim 1, wherein:said left lateral body portion and said right lateral body portion eachextend along said first axis, said left lateral insert portion defines afirst part of said elongate work piece abutment surface, and said rightlateral insert portion defines a second part of said elongate work pieceabutment surface, said first part of said elongate work piece abutmentsurface and said second part of said elongate work piece abutmentsurface are separated by a gap, when said fence insert is secured atsaid first position, said first part of said elongate work pieceabutment surface is positioned to intersect said second axis at saidfirst point, and when said fence insert is secured at said secondposition, said first part of said elongate work piece abutment surfaceis positioned to intersect said second axis at said second point. 12.The miter saw of claim 1, wherein: said elongate work piece abutmentsurface defines a lower edge, when said fence insert is secured at saidfirst position, said lower edge of said elongate work piece abutmentsurface is positioned at a first vertical height above said work piecesupport surface of said turntable, when said fence insert is secured atsaid second position, said lower edge of said elongate work pieceabutment surface is positioned at a second vertical height above saidwork piece support surface of said turntable, and said second verticalheight is less than said first vertical height.
 13. The miter saw ofclaim 12, wherein: said work piece support surface of said turntable ispositioned to lie in a plane, said lower edge of said elongate workpiece abutment surface defines a line, and said line is parallel to saidfirst plane.
 14. The miter saw of claim 1, wherein: said elongate fencebody includes a base attachment portion and a sliding portion; said baseattachment portion is fixed to said base; said sliding portion includingsaid first connecting structure; and said sliding portion is slidablysupported on said base attachment portion for sliding movement alongsaid first axis between a first position and a second position, saidsecond position providing clearance for said saw assembly to performbevel cuts.
 15. The miter saw of claim 1, wherein: said secondconnecting structure comprises a pair of beams that extend from a rearside of said fence insert, each of said beams defining a longitudinalslot having a longitudinal dimension arranged substantially parallel tosaid second axis; said first connecting structure comprises a pair ofsupport surfaces configured to receive said beams, said beams beingslidable with respect to said support surfaces between said firstposition and said second position along said second axis; and eachsupport surface defines a bore aligned with the correspondinglongitudinal slot, said bores being configured to receive fasteners forsecuring said beams to said support surfaces.